Improvement in life-boats



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

IMPROVEMENT IN LIFE-BOATS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 12,375, dated February 13, 1855.

To a/ZZ lwhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, I-IIRAM BERDAN, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Boats; and I do hereby declare that the fol? lowing is a full, clear, and exact description ot' the same, reference being had to the accom panying drawings, forming part of this speciication.

A boat constructed according to this invention consists of a folding frame of wood or metal and a covering of india-rubber, india-rubber cloth, or any flexible water-proof material, the said frame being extended when the boat is required for use, but folded in a reduced compass to stew the boat away when not in use.

This invention consists particularly in the manner of forming the ends of the folding or swinging ribs to receive the folding or swinging gunwales for the purpose of keeping the boat securely extended when in use.

Figure l in the accompanying drawings is an elevation of the frame of a boat constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan, and Fig. 3 a transverse section, of a boat in condition for service. Fig. 4t is a plan, and Fig. 5 a transverse section, of the boat folded or collapsed for stowing away. Fig. 6 is a transverse section of a boat provided with air-tubes to increase its buoyancy. Fig. 7 is a front View of a skeleton rib. Fig. 8 is a part of a plan of a boat, showing a modification in the construction of the frame.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspending parts in the several figures.

A B C D is the principal portion of the frame of the boat, which may be termed the center frame, constituting the stem, the keel, the stern-post, and a stay extending directly from the top of the stem to the top of the stern-post. This part of the framing, which is all perfectly rigid, I prefer to make of wood on account of its greater lightness,

though it might be made of metal.

E E are two light metal bars,which maybe termed gunwale-bars, of a proper curved form to serve as the gunwales of the boat. These are attached, one on either side, tothe frame A B O D by a hinge or link d at each end, so as to be capable of swinging downward to a position nearly parallel with the keel or center of the boat, as shown in Fig. 5.

F F are what may be termed the ribs of the boat, as they supply the place ot' the ribs of a common boat. They may be made either of a solid piece of board, as represented in Fig. 3,01 may be merely of skeleton form of wood or metal, as shown in Fig. '7, or of natural crooks, like the ribs of a common boat. The shape of each must correspond with the exact transverse sectional shape required at its respect-ive part of the boat. They are each pivoted by pivots h c at the center of the top and bottom to the keel B and the stay D, so as to be capable of swinging to and from positions at right angles to the keel, as shown in Fig. 2, and in line, or nearly so, therewith, as shown in Fig. 4. Each or a number of them should have a notch e at the top of either side for the purpose, when they are at right angles to the keel, of receiving the gunwale-bars and holding them up in place to keep the boat extended.

The above-described parts form a complete frame, only requiring a covering of waterproof material to make a strong serviceable boat.

G is the water-proof covering, which may be made in one or more pieces cut from a fiat sheet of any water-proof material, to fit the outside of the frame when the latter is extended. I prefer to use sheet india-rubber or india-rubber cloth for this purpose; but canvas or other textile fabric saturated or painted or varnished over with some water-proof substance may be employed. This must be secured to the keel, the stem, and stern-post,

'and to the gunwale-bars, care being taken that the joint along the keel, the stem, and stern-post is water-tight.

The boat constructed as above described, when not required for service, is collapsed by having the ribs F F moved by hand to a position as nearly as possible in line with the keel and the gunwale-bars thrown down to the position represented in Fig. 5, by which the flexible covering will be folded up hetween the gunWale-bars and the ribs. When required to be launched for service, the gunwale bars are first thrown upward, as represented in red outline in Fig. 5. The ribs are then turned at right angles to the keel and the gunwale-bars brought into the notches e e in the ribs. The tension of the coverlng is intended to he sulhcient to draw the gunwale-a bars tight down into the notches e e, and by this means all the parts are secured in place and the boat is made perfectly stiff and firm. Boats constructed on this principle may be employed as life-boats, and a large number may be carried in a small compass on board ships to be employed in cases of ship-Wreck. lVhen'intended to he employed for such purposes, they should be provided with an air tube or chamber underthe gunwale, as shown in section in Fig. G. This tube or chamber may extend the whole or anv portion of the length of the boat and may be made of the same flexible material as the covering G, so that when the boat is collapsed or folded the said tube or chamber may be allowed to collapse by the escape of the air from within it, and Will occupy but little additional room in stowing the boat. The tube or chamber may be inflated with air before launching th boat by a bellows or other means.

Instead of the ribs F F made each in one piece and. turning one half toward the head and the other half toward the stern of the boat, ribs divided in the een ter or composed each of t-Wo parts, as shown in Fig. S, may be employed, the two parts being hinged together or to the keel B, so as to swing both toward the head or stern, as shown in the abovenamed figure in red outline. In this oase the stay D may be dispensed With.

By placing the ribs F F far enough from each other they may be caused,' when the frame is folded,to occupy a position entirely Within or between the planes of the sides of the frame A B C D Without lying one against the other, as shown in Figs. 4 and 8.

I do not claim 'of themselves either the hinged or pivoted ribs or t-he hinged gun- Wale-bars; but

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The method herein described of keeping the gunwale-bars E E in place when the boat is extended for service by means of the notches e e, which are made in the ribs F F to receive the said gunWale-bars.

HIRAM BERDAN. Witnesses:

S. I-I. 1WALES, I. G. MASON. 

